BOWIE, Md. - The Next Level Collegiate (NCL) will begin its 2023 lacrosse league on Apr. 2 and Bowie State's club lacrosse program will take on Morgan State at 1 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. matchup with Coppin State.

All games will be played at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Md.

A complete schedule can be found HERE.

Bowie State is one of six institutions returning from last season including Lincoln (PA), Coppin State, Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore and Morgan State. Norfolk State and Howard were added in 2023.

About NCL
The NCL was conceived as a testing and training ground for the next generation of lacrosse players and the sport itself. The league showcases the sixes discipline of lacrosse that will make its debut on the global stage during the 2028 Olympics. The NCL pushes innovation into the sixes game with a laser focus on perfecting the game for global play and looks to produce a great number of future Olympians over the next 10-20 years.

The NCL is an inclusive league open to all higher education institutions, with the initial participants comprising Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The league made it possible for the HBCUs to play by removing all barriers for entry. This includes all equipment, sticks, jerseys, practice apparel, balls, goals, coaches, and transportation. The NCL will fully fund 8 colleges in 2023 and will add 2-4 new teams each year.

The NCL has a 10-year media rights deal with Next Level Sports & Entertainment (NLSE). The goal of the global broadcast coverage is to raise awareness of Olympic-style sixes lacrosse by airing live games on NLSE's cable network and providing access to all games on NLSE's digital and streaming platforms. In addition to the in-game action, NLSE will produce supplemental shoulder programing spotlighting various NCL players, coaches, and personalities